I was forced to set woman alight, Sydney teen tells court

Paul Bibby

A Sydney youth has described how he was ordered at gunpoint to douse a young woman with petrol and then set her alight, telling a judge "I still don't believe that I've done what I've done."

The 19-year-old, who was a juvenile at the time, is being sentenced for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent over the attack in March last year, in which he grabbed a woman in the inner city suburb of Chippendale, doused her head, chest and legs with a milk carton full of petrol, and then set her alight.

The attack nearly killed the woman, referred to as "Miss K", and left her with permanent scarring over her face and body.

As the woman looked on, the teenager, referred to as MF, told the Downing Centre District Court that his cousin had approached him about one month before the attack and said "I need you to do some stuff."

Knowing the man's criminal and often violent history, the teenager suspected he was being asked to participate in a crime, and said he did not want to take part.

The cousin was not deterred, the court heard, offering his young relative $70,000 and then threatening to harm his mother and sister if he did not take part.

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"All I knew [then] was that he wanted me to hurt someone," the youth told the court.

"He told me what he's done to others and how bad he's hurt them ... real bad ... when someone doesn't do what he tells them."

Soon after, on March 22, MF's cousin allegedly came to his home and said "Come on, we've got to make some money."

"He said, 'I've got a gun' and put his arm around my neck," the youth told the court.

The pair then drove to a service station, where the younger man was ordered to buy a milk carton, which was subsequently filled with petrol.

They then drove to an address in Chippendale where the older man allegedly called the woman, whom he appeared to know well, saying "Hi honey, where are you?"

"He goes 'you have to pour the stuff on her legs and light her up,'" the youth said.

"He had a a Glock pistol ... he pointed it at me ... he had it in his lap and pointed it in my direction.

"He pointed her out and said 'Go do the thing.'

"I grabbed the woman ... I poured the petrol on her."

The youth, choked with tears, was unable to complete the sentence. But he confirmed, when asked, that he had then used a lighter to set the woman on fire.

"It was a terrible thing to do. I wish I would have run away ... called for help ... asked someone to call the police," the youth told the court.

"I wish I could change this from happening ... I still don't believe that I've done what I've done. I'm really upset at myself. I wish I could go back and change things.

"I can't sleep every night hoping that she forgives me, that she can get better."